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Your baby heard your voice in the womb and already finds it familiar. They may calm down or become alert when they hear you speak, showing the earliest signs of social connection.

Newborns can see about 8 to 12 inches away, roughly the distance to your face during feeding. Your baby gazes at your face during nursing or bottle-feeding, building the first bond.

Your baby's Moro reflex kicks in when they hear a sudden loud noise, causing them to fling their arms out and cry. This shows their hearing is working and they are responding to the world around them.

Your baby prefers human voices over other sounds, especially familiar ones. When you speak softly, they may stop fussing, turn toward you, or become still and attentive.

From birth, babies are drawn to face-like patterns and prefer looking at faces over other objects. Your newborn will study your features up close, learning to recognize the people who care for them.

Your baby can track a slow-moving object a short distance with their eyes. This early visual tracking lays the groundwork for hand-eye coordination later on.

When placed on their stomach, your baby briefly raises their head before setting it back down. These mini lifts build the neck muscles needed for later head control.

When you place your finger in your newborn's palm, they grip it tightly. This automatic grasp reflex is one of several newborn reflexes that will gradually give way to intentional grasping.